Where Champions Meet
by Pickzee
Summary: AU. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, sworn enemies since their first meeting, have both qualified to ride in one of the top horse shows in the country. After three years of separation, they find themselves drawn to each other despite the odds. HPDM slash.


**Title: Where Champions Meet**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary: Two boys, two horses, one trophy. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, sworn enemies since their first meeting, have both qualified to ride in one of the top Junior Jumper competitions in the country. Seeing each other after three years of separation, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other, even in the midst of the biggest competition of their lives. AU; HPDM, SBRL slash.**

**Warnings: Slash. You know, guys doing other guys. Strange lack of other warnings. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned the Harry Potter franchise I would be very very rich, and I could afford a horse like the ones in the story. However, I am broke high school student whose closest thing to a Danish Warmblood is a Breyer. I don't even lease the bratty Quarter Horse cross anymore. ::tear:: **

**Author's Note: Because of the number of equine terms a lot of you may not know, I'll put footnotes at the end of each chapter with words that don't have obvious meanings. If you have a question about something, either post it in a review or email it to me. If you can recognize where I ripped the title off from you get a cookie.**

**_Chapter I_**

The horse cantered a circle, her nose tucked at a near vertical angle, her haunches coiled with anticipation. The rider turned her towards the first fence and the chestnut's ears pricked as she strained against the bit, eager to tackle the hurdle. The four foot oxer(1) loomed, its candy stripe paint seeming more like a caution sign, but horse and rider continued toward it. Muscles strained and skin rippled as the pair was launched over the fence. They cleared it with a practiced ease, the successful completion of the jump made the mare only more excited. The rider stopped fighting her enthusiasm, checking her speed only when it became too much of a hazard. He sat as though it were a quiet hack in the park, not a madcap schooling course over fences as high as five foot. At the rail, the two spectators watched with varying degrees of horror and enchantment.

"He shouldn't be riding like that, he'll get himself and Phoenix killed unless he gets her under control!"

"Harry will be in fine, Moony. Besides, they both look like they're having fun," said Sirius, the other watcher, from his place next to the gate.

And Harry was having fun, his ivy-green eyes sparkling with delight at sensation of soaring over the fences. Phoenix had given a playful buck after the last fence, provoking a rare burst of carefree laughter from the boy. Only when he rode did the haunted shadows leave his eyes and even then, true lightness was strange. He reached across his horse's neck, rubbing the side of her neck.

"See, they're fine."

Phoenix trotted to the gate, tossing her copper mane playfully. She danced on her haunches as Harry leaned over to talked to his godfather. "I think we're ready. She took those like they were ground poles. The Junior Jumper Championship is just waiting for us to win it."

"As long as she stays sound. A few more rides like that and she could be out for this year, if not forever. For all her speed and talent, she can be injured too; more so if you ride her into the ground at every workout because you think it's fun," Remus chastised, looking disapprovingly at the lather on her flanks and the foam at the corners of her mouth. "She not a toy that can easily be fixed, so stop treating her like one."

"Honestly Mooney, I really think you're overreacting. So they went a little fast. It looks like he quite enjoyed the ride. They're both fine."

"They won't be if he keeps riding like that. Do you want Harry to wake up in the hospital, Sirius? Do you want him to not wake up at all?"

"Of course not! I don't want him to go like Lily and James, but I do think that he's a good enough rider to know his limits," Sirius said, his voice thickening with painful memories.

"He knows his limits, yes, but will he stop trying to push them just a little farther? I wonder why they gave you custody of him, when you are so negligent of his care."

Sirius automatically became defensive. "I'm not negligent! He needs to be able to have an outlet. Some times he does stupid things, but just because he rode it the way a jumper course should be isn't stupid. He's got too be in top condition for Devon, you and I both know that."

Harry jerked Phoenix's reins toward the stable, eliciting a resentful buck from the sensitive mare. The fights between the two men had grown in number recently, usually coming back to center around him. He didn't want to hear another, especially when he knew how it would end. Sirus would go to the bar, get drunk and not come until the next morning, while Remus would stay home, nursing a cup of tea and watching marathons on BBC America. Why they were fighting Harry didn't know, but since he had announced that he qualified for the Junior Jumper Championship at Devon, both men had been on edge.

Qualifying had been a struggle, going to shows every weekend, and working his hardest at each one. Phoenix was the real reason they got through, her ground eating canter and powerful jumping style giving him an edge against riders that he thought were far better than him. She hadn't been born when Harry's parents died, but their will had outlined that upon his tenth birthday he would be gifted with a foal of their Grand Prix(2) level mare and a stallion of exquisite lineage. Backed(3) by Minerva McGonagall, one of her parent's friends and one time Olympic show jumper, Phoenix Rising (her registered name), had every sign of becoming a champion. She had the typical Thoroughbred flightiness, thin skinned and strong willed, but each inch of her hide shone with greatness.

Returning to the barn, Harry stripped Phoenix of her saddle and replaced her bridle with a leather halter and shank chain. He brushed her out before leading her up and back the worn track next to the barn in order to drop her heart rate and keep her from colicing(4). When the sweat had dried and her skin had cooled, he ran out the hose and squirted her down, smiling as she lifted her upper lip and bit at the liquid stream. It was really no wonder that she could so easily lift his spirits. Aside from her playful attitude, she was his only link to his parents that didn't feel indebted to compensate for his loss. She would never tell anyone the secrets that were whispered to her as he pet her face and caressed her ears. There was no judgment in her gaze, just the calm affection that had grown there over years.

He returned Phoenix to her stall, which was fetlock-deep in sawdust. A pile of hay was stacked in one corner, grain and water buckets in another. Iron bars over the top half of the door allowed her to see out, but made it impossible for her to play with the latch and escape. With a deep groan, she lowered her self to the sawdust and rolled vigorously. She scrambled up, still covered in the pale shavings. She snorted, as if to refute that she would ever do anything that silly, and turned to eat her hay. "Harry?" Remus was walking down the barn, a calendar clutched in one hand.

"What?"

"Your first class is on Friday, sometime between eight and one o'clock. We should probably get down there at least two days in advance so you both can get used to the arena and get her settled in the stables; you know how finicky she can be. We want to allot about a day and a half to driving down, so we'll leave tomorrow at one. You already have most of the stuff packed, right?"

"Yeah, I just need to pack my schooling tack and I'll be ready to go," Harry offered.

Remus sighed, the deep, sullen sigh of a man in an uncomfortable situation. "Make sure not to forget anything, we can't just drive back here to pick it up."

- 

Draco stared petulantly at the saddle, hoping against hope that it would clean itself. He hated this chore - the leather cleaner always turned the skin on his hands an unnatural color and grime always got wedged under his fingernails. He'd just finished his last training session at home before Devon and needed to clean all his tack before placing it in his trunk. The dark bay warmblood had been responsive and eager, falling into the habitual collected canter and doing the course easily, picking up his flying changes(5) at the slightest command. Lord had taken each jump with room to spare and was barely moist after the workout. Draco had just put him away, liberally dousing him with fly spray first to prevent a repeat of last year's tragedy.

July came, bringing with it swarms of mosquitos and several dead crows. The vet had come to vaccinate every horse against West Nile(6), but even afterwards Lord still came down with it. He had fallen on the cross ties, and because the disease had attacked his nervous system so greatly, he could not get up, not even with Draco and several grooms trying to push him to his feet. Hearing the stallion's head connect with the floor in a hollow thud was one of his worst memories, and the sound still haunted him. For two days he had no know idea if Lord would live or die. He hadn't been able to eat for those days, the lump in his throat was so great. He doted on Lord then, leaving no task half done and ensuring that the horse was as comfortable as possible. Gradually, Lord began to recover. It took a month before he could walk out of the barn and another two months before he could jump again. The illness had been devastating, and shattered the crystalline world Draco lived in.

Since then, Draco had fully appreciated Lord, though he held his old distaste for the chores involved with taking care of him. He dipped and wrung his sponge before rubbing it against the brick of Castille soap(7) to absorb the lather. Circular strokes, he reminded himself, as he watched the foam rise and cleanse the leather. 

His father was disgusted by Draco's attachment to the horse. To him, horses were a means to an end, in this case a trophy and a new title for his heir. He kept a stable full of horses that were destined to excel in certain fields: racehorses, hunters and jumpers, carriage horses, brood mares and studs. Each one had a spot of perfection and that was its only purpose at Malfoy Manor: to be perfect. It was often wondered if Lucius loved anything at all, or if he simply surrounded himself with things to keep up appearances. From his family it was hard to tell, Narcissa being a trophy wife and model hostess, and Draco being molded to resemble his father in looks and attitude as much as possible.

He dried the last of his saddle, put the cloth cover over it and stored it in his silver and green tack trunk. Draco wandered from the tack room, meandering towards Lord's stall. There was bronze plaque on the door that read: 

_Dark Lord_

_Owned by Draco Malfoy_.

A small white board below it outlined his feeding schedule and rations for the grooms to see. A sixteen hand bay, so dark it was almost black, stood in the corner wearing a fly sheet and mask(8), lazily chewing some wisps from his hay net. "Come here Lord," Draco coaxed, his fingers finding a peppermint in his breeches pocket.

The stallion turned, his ears pricking at the sight of Draco and the scent of a treat. He wuffed at Draco's hand before eagerly lipping up the treat and crunching on it noisily. For a stallion, Lord was unusually sedate, rarely throwing tantrums and for the most part acting like a noble gentleman. He rubbed forehead on Draco's hand, flicking his tail to ward off any approaching flies.

A tall man, with hawk-like features and a short ponytail that looked as though it needed to be washed strode toward Draco. "We will be leaving tomorrow morning at eight, though doubtless you already know that Mr. Malfoy. He looked ready this morning, but you'll need to make sure he doesn't slack off when you get there."

"I know Severus. I plan doing just flatwork on Wednesday to get him used to the ring and on Thursday a little light jumping, nothing higher than three foot."

"That sounds like a fine plan. Make sure not to ride him too hard either day; both Friday and Saturday you have two classes and you don't want him to burn out before the end." Draco nodded his consent. "We're going to win this, you know. I can feel it already." 

**A/N: So here ends chapter one of Where Champions Meet. I hope you enjoyed it and stay along for the ride. Yes, a lot of this was based on personal experience, especially the West Nile bit. This September the horse I was leasing got it and fell when the farrier was trying to trim his feet. He hit his head on the stairs to the tack room, and the whole experience was the most horrifying thing that happened to me. Not trying to get a pity vote though. Just thought you may be interested that it wasn't a load of BS and is what actually happens.**

**1.) Oxer - An obstacle which has width as well as height, created by spacing two fences close enough together that the horse needs to take it in one jump. Picture - ************"www.cavalliedintorni.it/cidelvignale/image/cavalli/allievi/webgalall/images/baiooxerjpg.jpg"**

****

**2.) Grand Prix – This is the highest level of show jumping competitions. They are often used as qualifying events for international competitions. They usually have prize money upwards of $25,000. If you watch televised show jumping events, this is what you see.**

**3.) Backed - Training a young horse to accept a saddle and a rider. This is the early stage of training to be ridden.**

**4.) Colic - A possibly fatal ailment for horses that is similar to a human stomach ache, however since horses cannot throw up complications arise. Possible causes are putting a heavily worked horse away before his heart rate is normal, allowing a hot horse to drink water, especially ice cold water, before he cools, overeating, an inability to properly digest food, an intestinal twist, many types of poisoning, and even in some cases excessively hot, sunny weather. **

**5.) Flying changes - When a horse is cantering the inside leg should be leading the gait (called a lead). If the horse changes direction, the horse should switch his lead as well in order to properly balance. A flying change is when a horse switches his lead without breaking into a trot. **

**6.) West Nile Virus (WNV) - A new virus, it is carried by mosquitoes. WNV damages the nervous system, causing twitching (especially facial tics), clumsiness, despondency, decreased appetite, atrophy of the muscles in the back and haunches and in severe cases recumbency (the horse falls and cannot get back up). One of three horses that contracts West Nile will die from it, and recuperation can take several months if the horse survives. It can also affect humans, but to a lesser extent, and neither horses nor people can be carriers. It is carried by birds, mainly crows, and transmitted by mosquitoes. A sign that WNV is in the area is a strange amount of dead birds. There is WNV vaccine, but it isn't totally reliable and the best way to prevent it is to take measures to kill mosquitoes, removing mosquito-breeding area, and protect horses from mosquitoes.**

**7.) Castille soap - A type of saddle soap that is inexpensive and very good because it contains no water, which could damage the leather.**

**8.) Fly blanket and mask - a mesh blanket used to keep flies off, and a strip of mesh that goes over the horse's face to keep off the flies. Picture - "w**ww.statelinetack.com/media/slt/images/products/detail/large/SpringCatalog04/lg5436352c1.jpg"


End file.
